Instagram now has 300M accounts, debuts verified badges for brands

The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram has reached new heights, surpassing the 300 million account mark, according to an official statement today.

Twitter, meanwhile, says it has 284 million monthly active users.

And while more users on Instagram will lead to the potential to rack up more likes and comments, the growth of the service also translates into a greater business opportunity. So companies’ Instagram accounts become more important as the app becomes more popular.

To provide better results for brands, Instagram said today that it’s rolling out verified badges.

“When an account is verified, a blue badge will appear next to its name in its profile as well as in search,” Instagram said in a blog post today. “These badges will start rolling out in the coming days and will be assigned to public figures and brands that have a high chance of being impersonated.”

Instagram has also been deleting fake accounts, which could lead to follower counts going down. But, overall, the company’s moves should result in more trust among users.